Karachi Chronicles Chapter 5

Who loves a chat, I’ll tell you straight up, Jacko does. I now know he’s a legend of Queensland cricket, but pardon my initial ignorance as I hadn’t chilled with him before this tour. That abruptly changed, when I sat next to him on a flight all the way from Melbourne to Colombo. Luke Jackson is an absolute icon of the cricket scene in MacKay and beyond. Paired with his wicked sense of humour, endless chat in the field and all-round positive nature, there aren’t many better people to go on a cricket tour with.

These qualities were typified straight off the bat when we first entered Karachi. With the dust barely settled from our arrival into Jinnah International Airport, we were whisked away in a minivan, lead by a police escort. Jacko, perched up in the middle of the bus, was firing off one liners like Mike Hussey cover drives. Then, right in the middle of his routine, he just looked out the front window and started chanting “go go, Power Rangers.” This was a hilarious mash up of the TV show and the official name for the Pakistan Armed Forces, which left us all in stitches.

Jacko’s love for a chat came in handy during our initial game, at the Karachi Gymkhana. Early on in our fielding effort, both Jacko and I were dragged into the commentary area for a guest appearance. Not really versed in what to do, we answered a few questions from the lead commentator before being left to go it alone. As Jacko proceeded to soar across the airwaves with the grace of the attack birds circling above, I jumped in and tried to also find my wings.

After a couple of overs we eased into the task, while trying to remain diplomatic. This was really important because the P.A. was hooked up to our microphone, which allowed the fielders to hear what we were saying. An unfortunate set up mistake early on in the tournament but certainly not ideal for first time, at least at international level, commentators. What made it even more sticky was, while we were kicking back, the boys were out toiling under the high heat and humidity. At the first break, we were pushed further into the shade with a minor scalding for sitting on our arse while the boys struggled under the conditions.

I agreed, it wasn’t a great look with two of us commentating while the boys got seriously acclimatised to the intense heat. However, it was also important to contribute back to the game in other ways, such as doing time in the commentary box when asked. Additionally, we were still coming to grips with what was expected and needed to be done when not in the playing team. Most of us weren’t professionals, so the logistics of running supplies every two seconds was definitely something the squad needed to iron out. This was achieved as the tour went on, which I will expand on elsewhere.

Taking this all on board, I quickly tapped out of my first commentary stint, slightly early. I had dipped my toes in the water but it was clear the lads needed us to keep them hydrated. All in all the first effort wasn’t terrible and I managed to give out plenty of shout outs to everyone back home. Taking straight from the playbook I started dabbling with back when Danny Batra hooked up the mic to our live streams while playing for the New South Wales Waratahs in 2022. Being so far from home and having great pride in representing country New South Wales, it was a great way to stay connected with everyone back in Australia. This was also a terrific platform to give respect and recognition to those who had helped get us on such an insane escapade. Furthermore, we were away from our families for three weeks, so it was just another small way to keep them involved in our adventure.

Another round of commentary came along soon enough for me. After the first match, it was decided to only commentate during our batting innings. This would allow all hands on deck for more efficient running of water when fielding. Durbs, laid up with injury, started off the first half of our batting innings against the U.A.E. at the NBP Sports Complex. As the non-batsmen, I was next in line to relieve Durbs after his cracking stint as opener. Durbs, with his astute knowledge of the game and classy demeanour, is a tough act to follow. Ironically, I'm also pretty sure the boys were looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet in the sheds while I was away, tied up on the mic.

Nervously, at around the twenty over mark, I slid into the commentary alongside Falaksher Malik. Falaksher, was a local professional commentator with plenty of experience. Originally inspired by icons such as Ian Chappell, Tony Greig, Ravi Shastri, Rameez Raja and Mark Nicholas, among others, he took up commentary in English. This was a serious undertaking as it’s his fifth language. Taking the risk, he honed his skills in front of the muted TV at home. This eventually paid off when he got to commentate on the radio during the final of the second Pakistan Super League. He continued to make waves by commentating for the PCB in 2018 and on PTV Sports, a national TV channel, during 2019. Eventually he became a prolific tape ball commentator on GEP Super.

Now commentating on our tour of Pakistan, for Geo Super, he would have to pass on some tips to an amateur like me. Fortunately, Falaksher's excitement for the game was infectious and he quickly put me at ease up in the Com Box. Unfortunately, I have a long history of quite often being misunderstood and was worried that I was going to say the wrong thing during live coverage. Clearly under the pump, but not one to shy away from a challenge, I was up for it.

To survive this, I had to play to my strengths, which meant being slightly random while still attempting to fit the norms of society. It was also a great opportunity to once again express my pleasure and gratitude to all the people that managed to get me to a county that I had always wanted to visit. This ranged from shout outs to the O.G. family and friends from my home town of Urunga, club mates at Tintenbar East Ballina Cricket Club and complementing all the players I had the privilege of travelling with and playing against. However most important for me, was really trying to portray many of the fantastic parts of Pakistan to anyone listening.

Interspersed between analysis of the game and answering questions about our experience, the shout outs back home continued. Everything was going swimmingly, until a spinner came on and jagged a wicket with a massive full toss. I couldn’t help but joke how us pace bowlers often bust ourselves for no reward, when all it takes to notch a wicket is to push a few fielders back and throw one up. In my mind, clearly a joke, it wasn’t quite understood that way, probably due to my dead pan monotone way of speaking. Quickly, I had to explain myself in more detail and smooth it all back over. I must admit, playing on the wickets we encountered, I did secretly wish I was a spinner at times during the trip. However in reality, I still live for that day when you get thrown the new ball and the wickets just seem to tumble.

After a couple more appearances as a commentator, I was starting to feel comfortable. It’s actually quite challenging to keep the banter flowing while also making sure you don’t say anything controversial or ridiculous. Regrettably, just as I had started to take flight, I developed some kind of respiratory ailment towards the later half of the tour. This made it difficult to talk and with the main priority being the onfield exploits or supporting the boys when not starting, I had to tap out of commentary prematurely.

Coming away with a new found respect for those that are the voice of our summer, it was just another incredible part of our journey. I’ve always been a student of the game but am rarely in a position, or ever get asked, to share these thoughts with anyone. To finally get a chance to try my hand at such a niche part of the game was a wonderful treat. Moments like this are one of the main reasons I feel travel is so important because it takes you out of your comfort zone. Once out of our sphere of solace we are also often more open to new experiences. Being so far off the map in Pakistan, it seemed like there was another fantastic surprise around every corner.

So although, I was slightly disappointed when my commentary career was cut short, it’s an experience that will bring a smile to my face for years to come. I also took a lot of pride in watching the boys have a crack in the box and showcase what the game has to offer. Everyone found their feet quickly and did a top notch job. It was also amazing to spend time with the professionals from Pakistan. In my case, with Falaksher in particular. Not only did I learn about commentary and the game, there were so many things that I unearthed about the country of Pakistan. No doubt these memories will keep me comfort while I wait beside the phone for a call up from one of the major TV networks in the future!